I have long maintained that the real purpose behind the ex-gay "ministries" is political and NOT to help "support for individuals who want to recover from homosexuality." It is absolutely critical to the Christianist agenda to deprive LGBT citizens of legal protections that sexual orientation be view and constantly marketed to the public as a choice. Once the general public understands that one's sexual orientation is not changeable, it becomes much harder to urge elected officials to vote against non-discrimination laws and the like. As Ex-gay Watch has revealed via a Boston Globe story (http://www.exgaywatch.com/wp/2008/03/exodus-will-remain-a-member-of-the-arlington-group/), Exodus International, which describes itself as "the largest Christian referral and information network dealing with homosexual issues in the world," is in fact a member of the Arlington Group, which has a clearly poltical motivation, and hasno intention of withdrawing. Here's a description of the Arlington Group (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlington_Group):
The Arlington Group is a coalition which unites the leaders of almost all of the most prominent Christian Right organizations in the United States. Founded in 2002 principally through the efforts of American Family Association President Donald Wildmon and Free Congress Foundation Chairman Paul Weyrich, the group seeks to establish consensus goals and strategy among its members and translate its combined constituency into an overwhelming force within the Republican Party, particularly at its highest levels. Its membership and purpose overlaps to a high degree with the Council for National Policy; but the group is much more narrowly focused, choosing to emphasize such issues as same-sex marriage, abortion, and confirmation of like-minded federal judges.
Obviously, if Exodus International's goal is only a charitable ministry to help individuals, why the involvement in the Arlington Group? A review of the Arlington Group's membership makes it very clear that raw political power and a policy of intimidation to further the Christianist agenda is the organization's sole purpose. Thus, was Alan Chamber’s recent announcement that Exodus has “decided to back out of policy issues,” concerned that they “might be alienating people that simply wouldn’t call [them] for help because of the perception that [they] were becoming a partisan and political organization rather than a ministry for all" a lie? It would seem so.
Combine this situation and the recently release by the American Psychological Association and co-sponsors of a booklet making it VERY clear that reparative therapy and ex-gay programs are unethical for mental health and health care professionals just underscores Alan Chambers' dishonesty. Exodus is a fradualent organization perpetrating a fraud on the uninformed and unwary. Of course, in the process Chambers makes money peddling books, receiving speaking engagements, etc.
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